American Petroleum Institute

Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Tents - FIRST EDITION
 N RP 756

Annotation

General

This Recommended Practice (RP) provides guidance for managing the risk from explosions, fires and toxic material releases to on-site personnel located in tents. The term "tent" is used to describe a wide range of structures and is defined in 3.18. This RP was developed for use at refineries, petrochemical and chemical operations, natural gas liquids extraction plants, natural gas liquefaction plants, and other onshore facilities covered by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119 [1].

The focus of this RP is primarily on process related hazards. However, non-process related hazards may exist which could present risks to tent occupants. Previous incidents have demonstrated that tent occupants are susceptible to injuries from fires originating inside the tent, from tent collapse due to extreme weather, and from falling objects. Some of these hazards are addressed by tent design standards, manufacturer's recommendations, and local regulations. See 5.3 and 5.4 for additional guidance.

Guiding Principles

This RP is based on the following guiding principles.

a) Locate personnel away from process areas consistent with safe and effective operations.

b) Minimize the use of tents intended for occupancy in close proximity to process areas.

c) Manage the occupancy of tents in close proximity to process areas.

d) Design, construct, install, modify, and maintain tents intended for occupancy to mitigate hazards that the tent siting could present to occupants in the event of explosion, fire, and toxic material release.